How we got here
Crypto License Pro was founded in March 2021 by Andres Kaarma, who had spent the previous decade inside European financial regulators — first at the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority and then at the Bank of Lithuania. The thesis was simple: MiCA was coming, and most of the firms helping crypto founders with licensing were either Big Four advisory teams (expensive, slow, generalist) or one-person shops (cheap, fast, narrow). There was room for a boutique that combined regulator-grade rigour with founder-friendly pace.
Four years later we are still three lawyers — by design. Every client engagement is touched by a partner. There is no offshore drafting team, no middle layer, no commission-driven sales pitch for the most expensive jurisdiction.
What we believe about licensing
Most CASP files do not fail on the law. They fail on the documentation that proves the founder actually understands the business they have proposed. Regulators interview directors. They read the AML manual against the operating model. They check whether the conflict-of-interest matrix actually maps to the org chart.
Our work is built around that reality. We don't just draft the application — we run a pre-clearance pass with each client where we ask the questions a regulator will ask, in the order they will ask them. Files we have rehearsed are files that get authorised.
What we don't do
- We don't accept work in jurisdictions we have not personally filed in. There are eight on that list, and we maintain a referral network for everything else.
- We don't operate a nominee-director service. Estonian and Lithuanian regulators have made their position on letter-box substance very clear, and we agree with it.
- We don't sell ancillary products — bank accounts, exchange listings, custodians. Our retainers are flat, our pricing is published, and we do not take placement fees from third parties.
Our process
- Scoping call (free, 45 minutes). We assess fit. About a third of conversations end here, with a referral or with us telling the founder they don't actually need a licence yet.
- Jurisdiction selection. We go through the realistic options against your operating model, capital plan, and timeline. This is documented, not improvised.
- Pre-clearance pass. We run an internal interview rehearsal with the proposed director and MLRO before drafting the application. Most issues surface here.
- Drafting and filing. Application dossier, AML/CFT framework, ICT resilience plan, governance documents. Submitted as one complete file — not in instalments.
- Regulator engagement. We handle every information request. The clock pauses each time a request goes unanswered, so this is where most timelines slip — and where having a partner on the file pays back.
- Post-grant supervisory liaison (optional, retained). Notification filings, ongoing supervisory correspondence, renewal management.
